LaGuardia Red Hawks center Charles Williams has made school history, becoming the first LaGuardia Community College basketball player to sign an athletic scholarship to attend a four-year college.

The 6’9”, 270-pound shot-blocking center will play for Division II

Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York next fall.

“Charles was and is great as a Red Hawk,” said Coach Ben Chobhaphand.

Williams’ scholarship also marks the fulfillment of a promise Chobhaphand made when he recruited the Astoria resident and former William Cullen Bryant High School standout to play at LaGuardia.

“Coach said if I came here and played for him I would get into a great school,” Williams said.

“I just felt that, with my coaching and his ability, we could help him become a scholarship player,” Chobhaphand said. “His physical size, his coordination and athletic ability for someone his size, I knew we could get him a scholarship.”

“As far as the coaching staff, it’s one of the best you could ever ask for,” Williams said. “They’re the best in Queens. Every one of us (players) is going to graduate. We’re not just here to play basketball.”

Chobhaphand said he knew of Williams abilities, having coached against him when Williams as at Bryan and he was coaching at Forest Hills High School.

“There are not a lot of 6’9” tall, 270-pound gentlemen out there, so he was easy to remember,” Chobhaphand said. “He’s the same size as Lebron James.”

Chobhaphand said Williams was one of the first players he recruited after being named LaGuardia coach last year.

Williams said he wanted to play for Chobhaphand, whose coaching has produced several professional basketball players, including former Forest Hills High School and St. John’s University standout Maurice Harkless, now of the Orlando Magic.

Williams said he will miss LaGuardia’s fans, who have been very supportive of the two-year-old team.

“LaGuardia fans, they surprised me,” Williams said. “I did not think we would have so much support, but we have a lot of great fans at LaGuardia. I’m definitely going to miss them.”